More than anyone else in the 20th century, the psychologist is responsible for our wide interest in what we can call "inner directed spirituality." He saw the unconscious mind as a hidden treasure, not a basement or cellar where we hide away everything about ourselves we'd rather not face. For Jung, the unconscious was a positive, life-giving part of our psyche and we ignored it at our peril.

Jung's conviction about the creative role of the unconscious came to him during a traumatic psychic upheaval that followed his break with Freud. Jung charted the course of this "creative illness" in his legendary Red Book, a mysterious tome filled with fantastic watercolor paintings and intricate calligraphy, that Jung kept secret for many years, and which was published for the first time only in...(click title to keep reading)

Carl Jung is still relevant today because our search for meaning is still relevant. #Spirituality and #religion comes up quite often in my work with clients. Both have helped them in their journey towards healing. They have faced terrible things but they find comfort and calm in their spiritual lives and for many their prayer lives too.

While stress can have a debilitating impact on a person’s mental health, emotional wellbeing and overall quality of life, it is possible to turn stress into a positive force in your life.

Dawn Stary's insight:

STRESS! We all experience it and I see stress and anxiety play a critical role in my clients's lives all the time. Learning that stress doesn't need to control you and that instead you can control it is life altering stuff. Positive thinking and relaxation techniques can go a long way.

I read once that yes, even I could be relaxed in a traffic jam. I didn't know to lose my cool and let it get the best of me. It was a simple but powerful statement that reminded me that I do have control over how I react to my environment.

Most individuals with #mentalIllness are non-violent; however, we have seen over and over again that some persons with mental illnesses can be violent and devastatingly so. We should, as a society, take all steps to demystify mental illness and address the root problems of it but it makes sense to also address the substance abuse that can be coupled with mental illness; especially if it can decrease violence.

PsychCentral reports that a study by Yue Zhuo, Clara M. Bradizza, and Stephen A. Maisto, conducted under the auspices of the University of Buffalo, found that substance abuse is a stronger predictor of violence than severe mental illness and that treating the substance abuse disorders in dually diagnosed patients illness can reduce their risk of future violence.

These researchers identified 278 patients of a publicly-funded community mental health center in Buffalo, New York who were diagnosed with both a severe mental illness (a schizophrenia-spectrum or bipolar disorder) and a substance use disorder. These subjects not only met criteria for current alcohol dependence (97%) or alcohol abuse (3%) but also had high rates of comorbid drug use disorders. 86% met DSM-IV criteria for at least one drug use disorder (76% cocaine abuse/dependence, 46% marijuana, 23% opiates, 16% sedatives/hypnotics and 9% amphetamines) in addition to their alcohol use disorder. Investigators followed these subjects over a 6-month period following their admission to an outpatient dual diagnosis treatment program. Data obtained from these subjects was then then analyzed to study the association between subjects' attendance at treatment and subsequent displays of aggression.

For the purposes of this study, "treatment utilization was defined as the number of days during the first 4 months following treatment enrollment that participants either received outpatient treatment and/or were in attendance at a self-help group meeting (e.g., Alcoholic Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, or Double Trouble in Recovery)." Aggression was assessed by querying subjects monthly about how often the following events happened as a result of their drinking or drug use: (a) arguments with family and friends; (b) physical fights when under the influence; (c) arrests due to behavior when they were drunk or high; (d) infliction of injury to someone else; and (e) damage to property or breaking things. These questions, along with assessments of drug and alcohol use and treatment utilization were administered for the previous 12 months at baseline and monthly after the initiation of the study.

Analyses revealed that dual diagnosis treatment was associated with lower levels of subsequent aggression. However, a thorough examination of the data held some surprises for the investigators.

They observed that, "In our model, severity of psychiatric symptoms did not predict severity of later aggression; instead, aggression was more closely associated with severity of substance use " and thorough analyses of data indicated that "greater treatment involvement was associated with reduced substance use, which was associated with lower levels of aggression". The research team concluded that "substance use was found to mediate the relationship between dual diagnosis treatment and aggression" and that "targeting substance use reduction in treatment may have the additional benefit of reducing the risk of later aggression among dual diagnosis patients."

"Treatment programs should include interventions that are likely to decrease substance abuse, as this may provide the additional benefit of reducing the risk of later aggression among dual-diagnosis patients. This not only improves the lives of affected individuals and their families, but also provides a safer environment for society as a whole.”

Margaret Lavin: MAY IS NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH San mateo county times May is National Mental Health Awareness month and San Mateo County is pioneering the way to address both mental awareness and wellness.

Dawn Stary's insight:

Yes! Let's talk about mental health and let's definitely teach the public about it too! This is a great initiative.

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